Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Not only uses strategies appropriate to assignment, such as cause and effect, analysis, argument, paraphrase, comparison/contrast, narration, description, definition, mediation, synthesis, exposition, etc…. 

·          But also includes necessary background and expository material for level of audience knowledge

·          And uses ample evidence to support main points/generalizations

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·          Engages with specific ideas and complexities of readings

·          Accurately reflects and fairly represents the tone, purpose, and meaning of each source cited

·          Identifies key ideas within a reading or among multiple readings and examines their interrelationships, functions within the whole, and significance

·          Explains, paraphrases, and incorporates quotations from sources logically, effectively, and even gracefully

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·          Integrates focused information and ideas from source or multiple sources in order to write a well-organized discussion

·          All paragraphs contribute to development of thesis

·          Consistently uses examples or evidence drawn from sources appropriate to the assignment

·          Uses strategies appropriate to assignment, such as cause and effect, analysis, argument, paraphrase, comparison/contrast, narration, description, definition, mediation, synthesis, exposition, etc.

·          Uses some evidence to support main points/generalizations

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·          Engages with specific ideas of readings

·          Almost always accurately reflects and fairly represents the tone, purpose, and meaning of each source

·          Identifies key ideas within a reading or among multiple readings

·          Explains, paraphrases, and incorporates quotations from sources logically

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·          Integrates focused information and ideas

·          Contains paragraphs that contribute to development of thesis

·          Inconsistently uses examples or evidence drawn from sources appropriate to the assignment

·          Does not use rhetorical strategies appropriate to assignment, thus making it difficult to assess essay’s purpose and adherence to assignment guidelines  

·          Does not include necessary background and expository material for level of audience knowledge, so audience is easily confused

·          Use too few examples to illustrate main points/generalizations

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·          Offers a simple overview or incomplete coverage of readings

·          Inaccurately reflects and unfairly represents the tone, purpose, and/or meaning of sources

·          Does not identify key ideas within readings but instead focuses on less significant ideas, or does not examine the interrelationships, functions within the whole, and significance of key ideas

·          If includes quotations from sources, does not explain, paraphrase, and incorporate them logically

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·          Does not effectively integrate focused information and ideas, so essay lacks organization

·          Contains digressions from thesis and purpose

·          Uses examples or evidence drawn from sources inappropriate to the assignment

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Uses standard essay structure (introduction, body, and conclusion), and develops those parts in a particularly effective or creative manner: for example, a cogent synthesis of the main ideas or attention-getting introduction

·          Contains a specific, articulate thesis statement expressing paper’s main idea at an appropriate location early in the essay

·          Effectively uses paragraphing and paragraph breaks, and features paragraphs with topic sentences that articulate the main idea of the paragraph

·          Uses principles of sequence, ordering, and emphasis through paragraphing to achieve a deliberate rhetorical effect

·          Develops unified paragraphs through relevant examples, reasons, support, evidence, description, explanation, facts, statistics, anecdotes, and/or definitions of key terms

·          Uses topic sentences to express main ideas of paragraphs, to clarify meaning or structure, and to advance thesis idea

·          Uses transition words and phrases to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs

·         Uses conclusion to reinforce purpose of paper, synthesize main ideas, and gracefully lead the reader out of the essay

·          Uses standard essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion

·          Contains thesis statement expressing paper’s main idea

·          Thesis may be located at counterintuitive location

·          Correctly uses paragraphing and paragraph breaks, and uses paragraphs with topic sentences

·          Most paragraphs are unified, develop a single idea, and feature a topic sentence that adequately articulates that single idea

·          Uses conclusion to reinforce purpose of paper

·          Does not use standard essay structure of introduction, body, and conclusion

·          Does not contain a thesis statement that expresses paper’s main idea, or thesis is located at an inappropriate location in essay

·          Does not correctly use paragraphing and paragraph breaks, or does not use paragraphs with topic sentences, leading to confusion or difficult reading

·          Orders paragraphs arbitrarily, unclearly, or with no sense of deliberate rhetorical effect

·          Does not contain unified paragraphs; paragraphs digress from purpose or lack relevant examples, reasons, support, evidence, description, explanation, facts, statistics, anecdotes, and definitions of key terms

·          Paragraphs lack topic sentences, or topic sentences do not express main ideas of paragraphs, clarify meaning or structure, or advance thesis idea

·         Conclusion digresses from purpose of paper or introduces new ideas

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Not only uses sentences correctly, but also uses sentences in particularly effective ways, such as those listed below:

·          Uses varied sentence structure with attention to coordination, subordination, and other tactics of emphasis

·          Experiments with and plays with language; uses figurative language to unique effect (creativity)

·          Employs transitions between ideas such as linking/repeating ideas and words, parallel structure, and transitional expressions

·         Employs an overall style/voice which includes the sentence-level concepts of formal versus informal syntax, parallel structures, and several other less well-defined variables to arrive at a mature and graceful use of language 

·          Uses sentences correctly: demonstrates an understanding of how sentences work and are constructed (parts of speech, sentence types, completeness)

·          Uses simple or unvaried sentence structures

·          Uses language in strictly utilitarian manner; does not demonstrate creativity with language

·          Does not use sentences correctly: does not demonstrate an understanding of how sentences work and are constructed (parts of speech, sentence types, completeness)

·          Uses confusing or awkward sentence structures that interfere with intended meaning

·          Employs no transitions between ideas, so paper is choppy or has gaps between ideas and thus is difficult to follow

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations /D-F

·          Consistently uses correct and appropriate diction for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·          Uses interesting, varied, and possibly sophisticated language and word choice

·          Employs an overall style/voice which includes the word-level concepts of formal versus informal diction, active versus passive voice, consistent and logical verb tenses, and several other less well-defined variables to arrive at a mature and graceful use of language

·         Avoids wordiness, repetition, and clichés

·          Generally uses correct and appropriate diction for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·         Contains wordiness, repetition, and/or clichés

·          Misuses formal or informal language for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·          Uses incorrect word choices

·          Overuses passive voice

·         Uses incorrect verb tenses or mixes verb tenses

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Uses correct grammar: correctly uses pronoun-antecedent and subject-verb agreement, shifts in verb and mood, modifiers (dangling and otherwise); avoids gender-biased language

·          Correctly uses punctuation like commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, quotation marks; avoids fragments, run-ons, and comma splices

·          Adheres to correct spelling, capitalization, and abbreviation

·          Employs judicious and effective usage of means of mechanical emphasis (underline, bold, italics)

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·          Documents others' ideas according to conventions used in the course, demonstrating an understanding of the obligation to document material that is not the student's or common knowledge

·          Uses acceptable paraphrasing, including providing context, changing syntax, using synonyms, and retaining the sense of the original 

·          Contains only a few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, emphasis, etc (see “Above Average” description) so that meaning and readability are not greatly impeded

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·          Documents others' ideas, perhaps not following conventions used in the course

·          Uses acceptable paraphrasing

·          Contains so many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, emphasis, etc (see “Above Average” description) that meaning and readability are impeded

 

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·          Does not document others' ideas, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the obligation to document material that is not the student's or common knowledge, even to the point of plagiarism

·          Does not appropriately indicate or integrate paraphrases, suggesting that the ideas are the student’s